Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1887-08-06
Then HAD b tell them.

/ / could see. He snatched the head up by the
/ hair and held it in the light.
I at Is the head Of one of the men who &C
/ companied Flossie," he said, with a gasp.
I Thank God. it is not hersi"
We all stood and stared at each other
/ aghast. What was TO be donel
/ Just then there was a knocking at the door
/ that had bolted, and voice cried, "Open,
my father, open!n
/ The door was unlocked and in fed a terri
I fled man. He was one of the spies who had
/ been sent out.
My father" he cried, @the Nasal are on
I us! A great body of them have passed
round the hill and are moving toward the
old stone kraal down by the little stream.
| Ny father, make strong thy hearth In the
midst of them l saw the white ass, and on it
sat the Wateriily" Flossie) AN Elmorann
(young warTior) lied the ass, and by its side
walked the nurse, weeping. The men who
went with her in the morning saw not"
"Was the child alivefn asked Mr. Macken-
zie hoarsely.
"She was as white as the snow, but well,
my father. They passed quite close to me,
and looking up from where l lay hid, saw
her face against the sky"
! God help her and usn groaned the clergy
man.
| aEow many are there of themf' asked
@More than two hundred--two hundred and
half a hundred
! Once more we looked one on the other.
| What was to be donel just then there rose q
! loud, insistent G. y outside the wall.
| "Open the door, white mani open the doorl
| A herald--a herald to speak with thee" Thus
cried the voice.
Umslopogaas ran to the wall, and reaching
with his long arms TO the coping, lifted his
! head above it and gazed over.
II see but one man." ne said. "He il armed
and carries basket in his hand"
"Open the door," said. "Umslopogaas,
take thine ak and stand thereby. Let one
man pass. Ii another follow, STAY"
The door was unbarred. In the shadow Of
! the wall stood Umslopogaas, his ak raised
| above his head to strike. just then the moon
came out There was moments pause, and
then in stalked a Nasal Elmoran clad in the
| full war panoply that | have already de-
scribed, but bearing large basket in his
| hand The moon shone bright upon his great
spear as he walked. He was physically q
| splendid man, apparently about thirty-fve
years of age. Indeed, none of the Nasal that
l saw were under six feet high, though mostly
| quite young When he got opposite to us he
| halted. put down the basket and struck the
spike of his spear into the ground, so that 1t
| stood upright.
| LET us talk he said. "The first messenger
we sent to you could not talk" and he pointed
to the head which lay upon the paving OF the
| stoep-a CHASTITY sight in the moonlight; "but
have words to speak if ye have ears to hear.
| Also bring presents" and he pointed to the
| basket and laughed with an air of staggering
insolence that is perfectly indescribable, and
| yet which one could not but admire, seeing
| that he was surrounded by enemies.
"Say on" said Mr. Mackenzie.
| II am the sLygonan (war captain) "of a
| part of the Nasal of the Guasa Amboni.
and my men followed these three white men,"
and he pointed to Sir Henry, Good, and my
self, "but they were too clever for us, and
escaped hither. We have quarrel with
them, and are going to kill them"
"Are you, my friendl" said to myself.
ain following these men we this morning
caught two black men, one black woman, a
white donkey, and white girl. One of the
| black men we killed-there is his head upon
| the pavement; the other ran away. The
| black woman, the little white girl, and the
| white ass we took and brought with us. In
| proof thereof have brought this basket that
| she carried. Is it not thy daughters baskets"
| Mr.. Mackenzie nodded, and the warrior
| went on
| "Goodl With thee and thy daughter we
have no quarrel, nor do we wish to harm
| thee, save as to thy cattle, which we have
already gathered, 240 head-a beast for every
| mans father"
Here Mr.. Mackenzie gave a groan, as he
| greatly valued this herd of cattle. which he
| brad with rY,uph cara and froubla
$50, save for the cattle, thou mayst go
| free; more especially" he added, frankly
! glancing at the wall, "as this place would be
a difficult one TO take But as to these men
| it is otherwise; we have followed them for
eight days and must kill them. Were we to
return TO our kraal without having done so,
all the girls would make mock of us. So,
however troublesome it may be, they must
| die
"Now, have proposition for thine ear.
We would not harm the little girl; she is too
fair TO harm, and has besides, brave spirit.
| Give us one of these three men--a life for q
! life-and we win let her go and throw in the
black woman with her also. This is fair
| offer, white man. We ask but for one, not
! for tho three; we must take another oppor-
| tunity TO kilf the other two. | do not even
| pick my man, though l should prefer the big
one" pointing to Sir Henry; "he looks
strong, and would die more slowly"
"And if | say | will not yield the mans"
said MIR Mackenzie.
NAY, say not SO, white man." answered
the Nasal "for then thy daughter dies at
| dawn, and the woman with her says thou
hast no other child Were she older would
take her for a servant; but as she is so young
| / will slay her with my own hand-ay with
| this very spear Thou canst come and see
an thou wilt. l give thee a safe conduct"
and The hend laughed aloud at his brutal
! jest.
| Meanwhile l had been thinking rapidly,
as one does iii emergencies, and had come to
the conclusion that / would exchange myself
| against Flossie. l scarcely like to mention
the matter for fear it should be misunder-
| j, L.